This is the only Trogon included by Azara in his Birds of Paraguay. He calls it “Surucuá,” and states that it is confined to the larger forests of that country.
White obtained a single example of this species in the forests of Misiones, near Concepcion, in June 1881.
[ Fam. XXVI. BUCCONIDÆ, or PUFF-BIRDS.]
The Bucconidæ, or Puff-birds, are entirely restricted to the Neotropical Region, and are most numerous in the great forests of Amazonia and Colombia, where most of the 43 known species have been met with. These birds seem to pass their lives sitting upon the topmost or outermost branches of the larger trees, looking out for insects, which are captured flying and constitute their only food. Southwards of the great forest-districts of South America, Puff-birds become very scarce. One species only is as yet known to occur in Paraguay, and some uncertainty prevails as to the single member of this family stated to be found near Tucuman.
[266.] BUCCO MACULATUS (Gm.).
(SPOTTED PUFF-BIRD.)
Bucco maculatus, Scl. Jamacars and Puff-birds, p. 99, pl. xxxii.; Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 106. Capito maculatus, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 446.
Description.—Above blackish, spotted with brown; lores, superciliaries, and neck-collar pale cinnamomeous white: beneath white, fore neck clear reddish cinnamon; breast and belly covered with round black spots; chin and middle of belly whitish; tail black, with transverse bars of pale brown; under wing-coverts and under surface of wings white; bill red, with the culmen and base blackish; feet plumbeous: whole length 8·0 inches, wing 3·2, tail 2·8. Female similar.
Hab. S.E. Brazil.
Dr. Burmeister records the occurrence of this species of Puff-bird near Tucuman, and it must therefore be placed in our list on his authority. But it is possible that the species which he met with may have been the nearly allied B. striatipectus of the Bolivian frontier of Brazil, which is more likely to extend into Northern Argentina than the true B. maculatus. B. striatipectus (figured and described in Sclater’s ‘Monograph of the Jacamars and Puff-birds,’ pl. xxxiii. p. 101) is very similar to B. maculatus, but has the spots on the belly elongated into long striations.